News

Richmond, CA. – The East Bay Regional Park District received an award from the California Park & Recreation Society for its Dotson Family Marsh Restoration and Public Access Project. The Park District was recognized in the category of Excellence in Design: Park Planning. The District received the award at the 70th annual CPRS Conference held in Long Beach, California, March 13 through March 16, 2018.

The Dotson Family Marsh Project was completed in Spring 2017 and encompassed 150-acres at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline in Richmond. The site underwent an extensive $14 million habitat restoration and public access project funded my Measures CC and WW. The project also received funding from 10 other federal and state agencies.

Board President Dennis Waespi was on hand at the awards ceremony in Long Beach to accept the award for the District. “Dotson Family Marsh was a signature project for the Park District,” said East Bay Regional Park District Board President Dennis Waespi. “The project represents the best thinking on park planning with an eye toward restoring natural habitat for wildlife, providing public access for recreation, and planning for the impacts of a changing climate.”

The newly restored marsh was designed to provide high quality habitat for threatened and endangered species, such as the Ridgway’s rail and the salt marsh harvest mouse. Trails and other public access amenities are now open for the public to enjoy. These include:

• 1.5-mile extension of the San Francisco Bay Trail south of Point Pinole. • New southern entrance to Point Pinole Regional Shoreline via a 24-space parking lot with restrooms, accessible from Goodrick Avenue off Richmond Parkway.• Walk-in picnic area.• Spur trail to existing jetty trail.

“The Dotson Family Marsh project was a long-planned improvement to Point Pinole Regional Shoreline and, along with the Atlas Road Bridge and Staging Area, represents one of the largest park investments in District history,” said Park District General Manager Robert E. Doyle. “It is an honor to receive the award and be acknowledged for design of the project.”

The East Bay Regional Park District is a system of beautiful public parks and trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties east of San Francisco Bay, established in 1934. The system comprises 121,000 acres in 73 parks including over 1,250 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and nature learning.